Hello

Erin S., Dublin Management Internship

/in , /by

ErinatInishmoreInterned in marketing at Marketing Network, Spring 2015.

Internship: I interned at the Marketing Network, an advertising, digital marketing, and PR agency. I loved my internship, especially the people I worked with. I was able to help with a variety of projects across the agency’s different businesses. I did research for current clients and new client pitches. I was also able to attend client meetings. One of the bigger projects I worked on was organizing the consumer press ads for the launch of Eircode (Ireland’s first postal code system).

I Learned: I learned to be more spontaneous while I was abroad. I booked my trip to Edinburgh about a week before I went. While planning is still crucial, I learned that embracing spontaneity is just as important and can lead to the best adventures.

I also learned to be more independent while I was abroad. I was away from my friends and my BU comfort zone, so I had to adjust to that. There were so many things that I wanted to do while I was studying abroad, so I learned to do things on my own and be more comfortable stepping out my comfort zone to get the most out of my experience.

What Surprised Me: As cliché as it sounds, I was surprised most by how fast my time abroad went. I was able to travel lots around Ireland and Europe, so time flew by. The program is longer than most at BU, but the time still passed quickly.

Hardest Part: The hardest part of the program was after UCD finals ended when my study abroad friends from other schools left and I still had to finish my internship. It was hard to say goodbye and watch everyone else leave before me.

Best Part: It’s hard to choose the best part of my experience because I enjoyed all of it. I loved meeting new people, from Irish students to other students studying abroad from different countries. One of my closest friends that I made there was from Australia.

My favorite trip was when I went to Galway with the international student group the Erasmus Student Network. When I was there we went to Inishmore, one of the Aran Islands off the west coast of Ireland. We biked across the island to a cliff side. It was rural and beautiful. It was an amazing experience.

My Tips: One tip is to attend orientation events at UCD. I met some of my best friends from the program at the study abroad events. It was a great way to meet new people, and there was always free food.

Another tip is to join the two societies that cater to international students. They organize affordable trips around Ireland and provide a good community. In addition, I’d recommend joining at least one other society or club to get to know more Irish students. I joined the ski club and had a great experience with it.

Hidden Gems: In Dublin, one of my favorite places was Fallon & Byrne. It’s a specialty food store with a café in it and a wine bar in the basement. It’s in the city center and has great coffee, so I always loved to stop by when I went downtown.

In Ireland as whole, I would highly recommend making a trip to Kerry. It was the most beautiful county in my experience. There are a lot of great parks and beautiful scenery. I think it’s worthwhile, even just for a day trip.

Shannon C., London Internship – Law Track

/in , /by

Platform 9.75Interned in law at a small human rights firm, Spring 2015

Internship: My internship was with a very small human rights law firm with just around six full-time employees in total.  While I didn’t have one on-going project with the firm, I worked on different things such as researching different bodies of law as they applied to our clients and preparing memos on the topics; drafting letters and notices for our clients and opposition; and creating hearing bundles to be used in court.  I even got the chance to attend court on a few occasions, which was a really great opportunity to see first-hand how the British legal system works.

I Learned: I had no idea that the British work environment would be so different than the American work environment. Though there are definitely exceptions, the British work environment tends to be much more relaxed and laid-back than in the US.  It’s common for co-workers to go out for drinks at lunch and talk about their personal lives at work.  Because my office was so small, I came to know the lives of my co-workers pretty well.  The office felt very comfortable and open, but at the same time everyone was really focused on their work, and I realized that I liked the balance of those two aspects.

I also learned how to travel with other people.  This wasn’t really something I had given thought to before traveling abroad, but it ended up being one of the most crucial parts of enjoying my time abroad.  My roommate and I went on every trip together and had a great travel dynamic, which allowed us to enjoy our adventures.  We came to know who was good with directions, who was good with plans, and who was making sure we were taking enough pictures.  I learned a lot about compromise and communication and planning – the little things that can make or break a trip!

What Surprised Me: The thing that surprised me most when I was abroad was just how much there is to do in London.  It seemed that in the last few weeks of my time abroad I was trying to squeeze in every last ounce of London that I could.  The city is so large and surrounded by so many other great places to visit in England that it’s nearly impossible to fit everything in.  One thing that helped my me and my friends was making a list in the beginning of the semester of the places we wanted to see most – it helped us make sure we hit everything that we had planned on.  Definitely make sure that you spend a majority of your trip in London.  It’s great to travel around Europe, but there is also so much culture and history to explore right in London!

Hardest Part: This is going to sound really cheesy but…the hardest part of my experience was leaving.  After spending four months exploring a new city and learning all about its culture, history, and people, I had definitely developed an attachment.  Not only did I love the city, but I loved being constantly busy and always exploring something new.  I remember the last few weeks I was in London, I could hardly think about leaving the city.  But what’s nice about the BU program is that there are many BU students share that same experience with you.  Once you come back to BU, it’s like you immediately have this family of students who were abroad with you and who you can share memories and stores with.

Best Part: Markets!  Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best part, but it was definitely a highlight.  London has so many great outdoor markets in its different boroughs that are great ways to spend weekend afternoons.  Borough Market and Camden Market have excellent food, and Portobello Market has what seems like an endless amount of antique shops to explore.  Broadway market also has a mix of food vendors and hand-crafted items, and even some musicians performing on the street.

Overall though, the best part of the experience was how much of the world I got to see.  I visited a total of nine countries as well as towns around England.  It was such a great opportunity to become a better traveler, learn different cultures and histories, and see new parts of the world.  As much as I would encourage students to spend a majority of their time in London (after all, it’s such a great city with so much to do), I also encourage them to travel outside of the city or the country at least once or twice.

My Tips: Definitely utilize the social programmes! BU offers coordinated trips and events that you can purchase ahead of time for a discounted group price.  They were really helpful for trips that were difficult to get to without a car, or for finding tickets to shows that would usually be expensive. I went on planned programmes to Swan Lake, Stonehenge, Notting Hill Arts club, and a few others.

Also, be sure to budget!  London can get expensive, but it’s entirely manageable if you plan ahead.  You can find free events and things all over the city that won’t break the bank, and a quick internet search will show you affordable events all over the city.

Finally: museums are free.  This is perfect for rainy days, cold weather, or spare time.  You can explore a museum for 20 minutes and come back the next day to see more of the exhibits.  The BU buildings are also within walking distance of the Natural History Museum (which was basically my front yard for the entire semester) and the Victoria and Albert museum so there’s almost no excuse not to visit them!  There are so many museums all over London – try to visit as many as you can!

Hidden Gems: That’s a hard question – there are a ton!  During my first week in London, my roommate and I went for a walk in Hyde Park and spontaneously ended up in the Serpentine Gallery (free!).  It has really fun interactive exhibits and is fun to pop in and visit.  Another day, we ended up in Battersea park, and I wish I had known about it sooner!  It’s across the river from South Kensington (where the BU buildings are) and has fountains, open fields and sculptures.  It’s a great place for a picnic, a run, or just people-watching.

Also, if you like live music, you have to check out Ain’t Nothin But the Blues.  It’s a blues bar in SoHo that has live music every night (also free!).  I must have gone four or five times during the semester.  It’s a small little place that’s always filled with people enjoying the music and atmosphere.  It was a great activity for weeknights after school or work when my friends and I wanted to do something as a group.

And did I say markets?

Internship at EDI Leads to Suruchi

/in , /by

edi2Week four began with an early morning train ride to the rural town of Bardoli with our new sister and EDI employee, Mahima Behen.  We would be conducting field research of a proposed blacksmithy cluster with stakeholder interviews and field visits.  Our train arrived in Surat around 10AM where we stopped for some chai before hopping on the bus line that would take us to our destination.   Our ride took us an hour outside the city through sugar cane fields and rice paddies to our accommodation at Suruchi.

edi4We were being put up by Mr. Ramkumar, the creator of the Suruchi.  Suruchi is involved with the production of agriculture tools, vermicompost, organic seedlings, and solar cookers to employ and support local blacksmiths, farmers, and women.  Currently, the organization is waiting for funding from a government scheme that will aid in the creation of a blacksmithy cluster.  Suruchi has many different interventions planned to create a strong network of geographically dispersed artisans and to save a traditional trade being destroyed by the rapid industrialization of India.

We were given a two bedroom, two bathroom cabin, equipped with a small dining room and porch.  The bathroom was modest and electricity and running water were never certainties but our home for the next week was quiet and relaxing.  Our meals were prepared by Masi and were simple and delicious as the ingredients had been harvested from our cabin’s backyard.  It was great to get out of the city to replace the nonstop honking with the sound of birds and wind rushing through the fields.  Life slowed down for us and we were able to experience a unique and beautiful side of India we had yet to see.

Monday we walked through the blacksmith production facility at Suruchi and sat down to talk with the artisans who worked there.  We saw the process from raw materials to finished goods which were sold out of the front of the production facility.  With Mahima Behen as our translator, we got an insight into the blacksmith’s feelings and attitudes towards their trade, its future, and their relationship with Suruchi.  It was a great day and we were excited for our field visits the next two days.

Our evenings were spent relaxing with yoga and meditation and discussing our cultural differences with Mahima Behen over cards.  We shared many laughs and the three of us grew to become good friends.

Our second day was spent visiting rural blacksmiths who work from the front of their homes with very limited technology and resources.  We drove for hours through endless fields of green and crops with small markets and gathering places scattered throughout.  The roads were rough and the journey demonstrated the transportation challenges people who live in these areas face.  We saw several different sized operations on Tuesday and were greeted with food and chai no matter what type of home we stopped at.  Seeing the artisan’s workspaces and speaking to them gave us insight into the realities of the proposed cluster and rural life in India.

The third and final day of field visits we visited the farmers who used the tools produced by the blacksmiths and purchased vermicompost from Suruchi. The hospitality continued; water came first, followed by chai, and maybe some lunch depending on the time of day. We discussed the current shift towards organic farming and what they see in their future.  We were walked through their fields and shown their compost operations and came to understand the harmony that exists between farmers, blacksmiths, and Suruchi.

Thursday we had a debrief meeting with Mr. Ramkumar and began to compile the data we had collected into a report.  That evening we made friends with several of the children whose parents were living and working at Suruchi.  We ran around barefoot and made games out of whatever rocks or sticks we could find and overcame our language barrier with smiles and laughs.

Our final day we continued to work on our report and relish our last few moments in rural India as our train back to Ahmedabad was leaving early the next morning.  Our trip to Suruchi was what we hoped to get out of this internship experience.  We were given a chance to immerse ourselves into a community, speak with its people, make friends, see how they work and live and how business functions in such an environment.  We read about the challenges of rural blacksmith businesses and farmers before our field journey but we only came to understand them from diving in and interacting with the artisans.  We came to understand the NGO Suruchi and the challenges it shares with NGOs around the world as well as the unique challenges India throws at them.  We saw a different side of India we were not exposed to thus far and we enjoyed every moment of it and learned so much.

It is sad to think our time here is two thirds over as we move into week 5.  We will be spending the remainder of our work period compiling our final report and reflecting on our experience in Bardoli as well as relishing every last moment in Ahmedabad.

Joe Fernandez & Sachin Babbar, GEO EDI interns